Smoking Sausage

[jaeger]

Hi everyone!
I just received a Bradley this week! I have been ghosting this forum for a while now. I had already ordered one before I found this forum (Sorry Chez).
I work in the meat dept. of a grocory store and am also the smokehouse manager for this store. I have opened up 3 smokehouse depts.(and worked at these same stores) in three cities and three states. Sadly, smokehouse operations are going the way of the dinasaur at the retail grocery level. I am used to using a large (Smith)smokehouse equipped with a microproccesor that is programmed to cook with dry heat, wet heat (humidity/wet bulb), timer for each cycle etc. Each type of product that we make has a different program. These are really very nice units as they can be set to start at a preset time and finish with a shower if needed. The biggest drawback for our type of smokers (because of saftey and ease of operation) is the smoke is generated from liquid smoke.[xx(]
.....anyway, I would like to tell you that I have found this forum very informative and at times quite amusing. I plan on using my bradley for jerky and whole muscle meats but I really hope that it works well for sausages. I have seen a bratwurst recipe posted here that I plan on trying and eventually I want to try some of my own. I picked up a remote thermometer, a grinder and a stuffer. I picked up a stainless steel cabinet on wheels for the smoker and a SS cart for stuffing onto at an auction last week. I plan to smoke some venison sausage stuffed into 35mm hog casings on Sunday.
Can anyone tell me how many pounds I should plan on putting in the smoker.(I plan to hang them on dowels)?
How long should I estimate for time?
Should I rotate the dowels at the halfway point?

Any info, advice or words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated.[:)]

Later......


If at first you don't succeed.....try a double smoke...

[Bassman]

Welcome Doug,
Here is a link to my experience with sausage.
http://www.bradleysmoker.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=98
I used double racks instead of dowels, rotated them half way thru,top to bottom & front to back.We made 1lb rings.all other info should be in the link. Hope this helps[:)].

<i><font color="blue"><b>Jack</i></font id="blue"></b>

[Cold Smoke]

I was starting to have a lot of fun making sausage lately- and was wondering if anyone out there had a GOOD recipe for something like a jalapeno/swiss cheese or honey garlic sausage (or any other great combo/ old family recipe) that they would like to share. It would be preferable to have a recipe that you've actually tried before and would recommend. I've got a batch of smoked polish beer sausage in the BS as we speak. I'll likely try some tonite- Yummmmm!!

BTW- my recipe says to give these sausages a cold shower (drop in cold water) after pulling from the smoker- How important is that? Would it be just as good to toss into refrigerator?

Much appreciated!

Geez, after re-reading (and rephrasing) -I can imagine Kirk having a blast with this sausage topic...[;)][:0]

Cold Smoke

[nsxbill]

I understand the dunk in cold water keeps the casing from getting wrinkled. Having not made sausage yet, only going by what I have read.  

You got your stuffer from the Sausage man didn't you?  

How does it work?  

I still want that German one by F.Dick, bit sure is pricey.  

How many pounds can youl load up in yours to stuff?  

Using artificial or natural casings?  

Did you rig up hooks inside your BS to drape the sausage?

Are you cold or hot smoking the tube steak?  What kind of bisquettes and how long?

Life story optional.  Sorry for so many questions, but I really want to start doing this myself!

Bill

[Cold Smoke]

NSX, I did buy the 5lb stuffer from Sausage Maker- see attached link
http://www.sausagemaker.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=318.

I haven't used any other stuffers other than this one- but I think it works great. Nice and smooth. I kinda wish it has a speed reversal to get your plunger back up- but no big deal. All in all a nice sturdy unit with smooth action.

 <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">How many pounds can youl load up in yours to stuff?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote"> 5 pounds.

 <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Using artificial or natural casings?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote"> I've only used natural so far. Mostly hog casings. I did run that crappy batch of Slim Jims through sheep casing- that stuff was quite pricey. It cost about $1 per pound of sausage.
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Did you rig up hooks inside your BS to drape the sausage?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote"> I've been meaning to get some oak dowels to lay across the BS to hang the sausage from but I've been using the racks and laying them flat. I don't mind the grid look on the sausage now but one day when I do get good at this sausage thing and want to give/gift some out I think I'll want to hang them for aesthetics.
 <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Are you cold or hot smoking the tube steak? What kind of bisquettes and how long?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote"> I've only hot smoked so far and using a cure mixed in with the meat. "The Book" says that you must use cure if smoking. I'm thinking I'll make a few fresh sausage batches next (uncured/unsmoked) and just for grilling. I've got a bad case of the sammies for grilled sausages/brats. [^][^]To date I've used hickory and this last batch is being treated to pecan. My first batches of German sausage were smoked for 3 hrs (hickory)- definately not oversmoked- seems to take the smoke nicely. The Slim Jims were for 5 hrs of smoke time. [xx(][xx(] Not due to the smoke.

That Dyck stuffer sure is nice though and you could double the amount of meat. http://www.butcher-packer.com/pg_stuffers_stuffers_dickhand.htm.

I did notice that Cabela's has a nice looking stuffer that holds about 12 pounds and the price is quite reasonable. I'm not yet mass producing the stuff yet so I'm quite sure my 5 pounder will last me a long time. Besides, stuffing sausage is hard work- gotta keep hydrated during those pauses while you refill the stuffer.[;)][:p]

Cold Smoke